A small and (normally) very faint comet surprised observers around the world last night by suddenly becoming bright enough to be seen quite readily with the unaided eye. Comet 17P/Holmes, which was discovered back in November 1892 by Edwin Holmes, from London, England, was no brighter than magnitude 17 a couple of nights ago — about 25,000 times fainter than the faintest star that can normally be seen without any optical aid. In order to view an object this faint, one would need a moderately large telescope.

But the comet’s brightness has suddenly rocketed all the way up to third-magnitude, brightening nearly 400,000-times in less than 24-hours! The comet appears visually to the eye as a fuzzy, albeit distinct, starlike and yellowish object, but with no noticeable tail. The comet is currently located among the stars of Perseus, which can be found about halfway up in the northeast part of the sky as darkness falls. Perseus is almost directly overhead by around 2 a.m. local daylight time and is still well up in the northwest sky as dawn begins to break. According to an E-mail just received from Seiichi Yoshida of Japan, “Perseus does not look like the Perseus that is familiar to us [anymore] due to the bright stellar object there now.”

A celestial question mark

Why Comet Holmes has undergone such an explosive outburst is not understood. What is amazing is that it made its closest approach to the Sun last May, but came no closer than 191 million miles (307 million kilometers) to the Sun. The comet is now moving away from the Sun and currently is quite far out from Earth at a distance of 151 million miles (243 million kilometers).

This comet is part of Jupiter’s “family” of comets — a group of comets where the far end of their respective orbits (aphelia) cluster around the orbit of Jupiter — and takes 6.88 years to make one circuit around the Sun. So why would a comet far out in the cold of space suddenly brighten hundreds of thousands of times? What is the source of such energy? Does it come from within the comet or without? The outburst may signify a breakup of the comet’s core or a rich vein of volatile ices suddenly exposed to sunlight–no one knows.

Comet Holmes is not alone in exhibiting anomalous effects. In the past, other comets have undergone unexpected outbursts in brightness. And this is probably not the first outburst for Comet Holmes: when it was discovered in 1892, it was likely in outburst, since it became as bright as fourth magnitude and was dimly visible to the naked eye. According to comet expert, John Bortle, ” . . . the parallels between the current outburst of P/Holmes and the 1892 event are quite extraordinary. Following the initial stages of the 1892 outburst, the comet’s total magnitude faded only very slowly and it remained visible to the unaided eye for about 3 weeks. During this interval the coma expanded dramatically (as might be expected). One can anticipate that the same general evolution will occur this time.”

Bortle adds: “I would also call observers’ attention to the fact that P/Holmes underwent a second outburst (something that has been observed in conjunction with several other outbursting comets), of almost equal amplitude to the first one, about 75 days following its 1892 November brightening. Thus, I would urge everyone to watch very carefully for a possible repeat of this secondary event about the turn of the year.”

Because of occasional close approaches to Jupiter, the orbit of Comet Holmes has been altered a few times . . . in fact the comet was considered “lost” for nearly 60 years before it was finally recovered with a large observatory telescope in 1964. As to what this object will do in the coming days and weeks is not known. The brilliant light of the waxing Moon will be a hindrance for the rest of this week, but if you have binoculars or a small telescope, you might want to try seeing what certainly is one of the solar system’s most enigmatic objects!

Check out the SKYMAP:

– Joe Rao, Farmers’ Almanac Astronomer

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comet, comet Holmes, astronomy happenings, perseus

by sduncan
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ORIONID METEORS TO PEAK SOON . . . BRIGHT DISPLAY IN THE OFFING?
From Joe Rao, Farmers’ Almanac Astronomer

This is an alert for all observers to watch for a possible unusual display of Orionid meteors. The Orionids are thought to result from the orbit of Halley’s Comet; some of the dust shaken from this famous comet as it runs its gigantic orbital loop from the Sun out to the orbit of the planet Neptune; a part of the same permanent river of meteoroids following the comet. Discovered in 1864, the Orionids were not linked to
This is actually our second encounter of the year with this rubble river. In early May we meet them on their way outward from their nearest approach to the Sun. The result is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower.

In October we encounter the part of the meteor stream moving inward toward the Sun. The orbit is in fact a retrograde one — moving opposite or contrary to our orbital direction of motion. That explains why the Orionids hit our atmosphere at a very high velocity — 42 miles per second — slower only than the November Leonids.

Another characteristic of the Orionids is that they start burning up very high in the atmosphere — probably because they are of lightweight material. This means they come from the diffuse surface of the comet, and not its core. Some Orionids are fireballs, but most are faint, and about 20-percent leave trains that persist for one or two seconds. Orionids meteors can be found between October 2 and November 7.

Traditionally, the peak of the Orionids comes on the morning of October 21, with an average hourly rate of about 25. Orion, now ahead of our journey around the Sun, doesn’t rise until 11:00 p.m., and the greatest number does not occur until around 4 or 5:00 a.m., when Orion is high in the south.

The Moon is at a bright waxing gibbous phase — normally a big drawback — but it will set at around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday morning; 2:45 a.m. on Monday morning . . . leaving the few hours before dawn breaks, dark for viewing.
A BLAST FROM THE PAST?

Here is why we should pay special attention to this year’s Orionids:

Last year’s Orionids were exceptional, and it is possible there may be a repeat this year. Last year, hourly rates exceeded the “normal” 25 per hour rate for five straight days . . . and between October 21 and 23, rates reached 50 to 60 per hour — more than twice the normal complement that can be expected from this display. Moreover, last years meteors were unusually bright, suggesting that the structure we passed through in 2006 was not part of the Orionid stream we normally sample.

So if you’re up …look the sky and you might just see a great show.

More meteor shower dates and times are here.

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Orionids meteor showers, Orionid, October meteors

by sduncan
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In some parts of the country it has been unusually hot and dry, elsewhere (Maine) we are still getting night temps in the 40s. But, for the Northern Hemisphere, today is the beginning of true summer. The unofficial start is Memorial Day, but at 2:06pm (Eastern Time), summer begins and there is no denying it.

A solstice occurs twice a year. It is the time when the Earth’s axis tilts either toward or away from the Sun. At the time of the summer solstice, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer and arcs at about 23 1/2 degrees. It is also the day when we enjoy the greatest amount of sunlight. Enjoy the moment because starting tomorrow, we inch toward “darkness”.

If you want to know when the sun will set tonight, go to my website and click on astronomy and then sunrise/set. Enter your location and you got it. Enjoy every minute of light. The flip side of summer for us - this is the first day of winter for those living in the Southern Hemisphere.

Speaking of the skies and astronomy, we lost a great friend - Dr. Ken Franklin . Upon the death of Harry Buie in 1984, Ken joined our staff to handle the complexities of astronomy. He prepared our calculations for many years succeeded by current calculator, Joe Rao. As with many associated with the Farmers’ Almanac, he lived a long (age 84) and rich life filled with curiosity. Below is a tribute to Ken by our astronomer Joe Rao, who first met and was inspired by Dr. Frankline at age 10…. read on

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of astronomer, Kenneth L. Franklin.

Dr. Franklin obtained his Ph.D. degree in Astronomy in 1953 at the University of California, Berkeley, California. He was a Research Fellow in Radio Astronomy at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D. C., from 1954 to 1956. While there, staff member Bernard F. Burke and Ken discovered radio emissions from the planet Jupiter, announcing their discovery on April 6, 1955 at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

In 1956, Dr. Franklin joined the staff of the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium as Assistant Astronomer. Ken later became Chairman of the Hayden Planetarium and Department of

Astronomy of the American Museum of Natural History from 1972 to 1974. From 1956 to the time of his retirement as the Planetarium’s Chief Scientist at the end of 1985, Ken’s duties included presenting, and often writing, innumerable sky shows for the planetarium sky theater, teaching popular and technical courses in astronomy several times each year, and answering questions from the public. Ken was frequently consulted by local industries engaged in the space program, and by the news media and publishers. As the Planetarium’s Chief Scientist, he was often interviewed on local and national radio and television. During the 1960’s and ’70s, Ken was highly regarded by the New York news media as “The Man” to go to whenever a celestial event of special interest was due to occur.

From 1973 to 1979, Ken was the Public Affairs Officer of the American Astronomical Society.

For two decades, Ken also served in the Society’s Harlow Shapley Visiting Lecturer Program, visiting one or two colleges each year. Ken was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Explorers Club. He was also a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the New York Academy of Sciences, Sigma Xi, and the Trap-Door Spiders.

Dr. Franklin served as the Astronomy Editor of the World Almanac from 1970 to 1995, and, from 1980 to 1992, he provided all of the astronomical calculations for the Farmers’ Almanac, and others, through his association with the Hart Wright Company, Lewiston, Maine.

Dr. Franklin contributed daily almanac information to the New York Times from 1975 to 1997. As a columnist from 1983 to 1997, Ken originated and wrote the weekly “Sky Watch” feature that appeared in the science section of the New York Times.

Asteroid Number 2845 is named FRANKLINKEN in his honor.

Since 2004, Ken and his wife, Charlotte, have resided in Loveland, Colorado. Ken is survived by his wife, Charlotte, and his daughters Kathleen Williams, Christine Redding, and Julie Jones.

On a personal note, I first met Ken in 1966. One of Ken’s astronomy students at the Planetarium asked him if he would be interested in meeting a 10-year kid who had a budding interest in astronomy. It probably would have been easy enough for Ken to say no; that he couldn’t fit it into his busy schedule. Instead, Ken extended the invitation to me to come down — late on a Friday afternoon, no less — where, in the confines of his private office, we chatted about astronomy for some 45 minutes! I’ll never forget that day; that was the start of a friendship that lasted for over four decades.

- Joe Rao

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by pgeiger
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The Space Shuttle has been in the news the last few days. Here is a note from our astronomer, Joe Rao about its visibility and a link for more information. After fixing computer problems at the space station, it is heading home. Check out the link for specifics.With the successful undocking of the Space Shuttle Atlantis from the International Space Station at 10:42 a.m. EDT today, observers across much of the United States and southern Canada will have a great opportunity to see both vehicles flying across their evening sky on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Get all the details at: http://tinyurl.com/3xbprg-Joe Rao

On a separate note, I ran information about our Best Days Calendar. Here is a request from David. Castrating animals is one of those things we humans do. Here is his question and my response. The Best Days Calendar is updated monthly online. If you want top plan ahead, a 2007 Farmers’ Almanac is a must!

Dear sir I have found it to be quite true (Best Days), for hunting and fishing. Quick example: a well lit night will have deer and elk feeding at night and going to their beds early, I would like to know what is the best phase for dehorning and castration of cattle, I trust my physician for myself.

Thank you David. If you go to our website and click on Best Days, you will see what we list for this delicate procedure….for June it is the 28 - 30th. Although, it is never a good day if you are the bull. We update this list each month and carry a full list of Best Days in the 2007 edition. You must have a great physician!

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by pgeiger
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Earlier this week as I crawled into bed and gazed into the mirror closet doors, there was the reflection of a huge, orange half moon, illuminating our dark room. Wow! I don’t recall seeing the moon in our mirror before. The high window at the gable end of our house allowed the harvest moon’s image to be cast inside our room and onto the mirror. Funny, but when I looked directly up and through the high window at the night sky I couldn’t see the moon.

Well I’ve got to get a closer look at this moon, I thought. So out of bed I climbed and went outside leaving all the lights off. As I stood at the edge of the porch there it hung in space. And there I saw for the first time the silhouette of a man on the right side of the half moon! It was a stick man with two legs and a torso like a roman soldier from biblical times or an archer from Robin Hood’s merry clan. I don’t know what man in the moon other people have seen, but I was delighted to finally see the fellow for myself.

Later, I did a little investigating. Rather than a full person depicted on the moon’s surface, the man in the moon generally refers to a human face with two eyes and nose and a mouth showing up. The face’s eyes are the Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis. Its nose is the Sinus Aestuum, and its open mouth is the Mare Nubium and Mare Cognitum. Where you are in the world affects what you see silhouetted on the moon. Some cultures see the silhouette of a woman, a rabbit or even a buffalo. Most always these images are seen on the full moon.

The next full moon is this weekend. On Saturday or Sunday be sure to look for the fellow in the night sky if he doesn’t appear in your mirror! But why wait, look for the fellow I saw on the right side of the moon tonight. And for those of you that don’t want to wait until dark to look at the moon, thanks to the internet you can have a look now!

Log onto the US Naval Observatory’s website. The current appearance of the moon is updated multiple times daily. Go to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/ and click on What the Moon Looks Like Today for a close-up view of the moon. Another really fun site that points out silhouettes on the moon is http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/mim.htm.

Happy Moon Watching,
© Deborah Tukua,
www.hollycreekbooks.com

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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